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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — in control
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — a price
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. root — the cause
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — a thing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com